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Leo Greenlees
Leo Greenless was a former member of the governing body who was forced to resign and leave Bethel in late 1984. He entered the Toronto, Canada Bethel in 1936, eventually becoming treasurer of the Canadian branch and of the IBSA of Canada. In 1964 he went to Brooklyn Bethel, and in 1965 was elected as a director of the Society’s New York corporation. As a director Greenlees automatically became a “governing body” member when that body was formally instituted in 1971. He often spoke at Gilead graduations, and was the concluding speaker for the day at the Watchtower Centennial business meeting at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on October 6, 1984. A 1982 Watchtower mentions him as being on the Teaching Committee of the Governing Body. Greenlees’ last mention in Watchtower publications is in the December 1, 1984 Watchtower where he is said to have passed out diplomas at the September Gilead graduation. In late 1984, Greenlees was allegedly convicted by the rest of the Governing Body of molesting a ten year old boy. The boy’s parents had complained to the Society and it took action. Greenlees was a friend of the family and often visited them. After leaving Bethel Greenlees served as a Special Pioneer and eventually an elder in the “Downtown” congregation in New Orleans, Louisiana. He died in the late 1980s. Interestingly, the boy who Greenlees molested applied for Bethel service a few years later, around 1991, and was rejected. Watchtower leaders apparently feared that other Bethelites would tell him the ‘rumors’ about Greenlees, not knowing that he was Greenlees’ victim, and cause the young man to know that justice had not been done. He might then have confirmed the rumors. Percy Chapman Percy Chapman was another member of Bethel accused of being homosexual. It was alleged that Chapman was a one-time lover of GB member Leo Greenlees. In 1959, under hint of homosexual scandal, Knorr went to Canada to replace Chapman, who was the Canadian Branch overseer. Knorr demoted Chapman to janitor, but let him remain at Toronto Bethel–on condition he marry. According to Larry D., a Toronto former JW, “Percy…was totally anti-marriage and he made sure that none of the “Bethel boys” even contemplated the subject…” Larry described the Bethel boys of the 1950s. “They were all young and handsome, hand-picked by Percy Chapman; there was even an elite group known as ‘Percy’s boys’ who would accompany him to expensive restaurants and bars…at the time, Bethel was on Irwin Avenue in the center of the gay district of Toronto. There was even a Kingdom Hall above ‘The Parkside,’ one of Toronto’s few gay bars in the fifties and sixties.” After Chapman’s disgrace, Larry, who personally knew Greenlees, wrote, “Poor Leo Greenlees, Percy’s close companion for three decades…had to find himself a new roommate. …He was very open about his homosexuality to those few good-looking young brothers…He would bring along another Bethel boy, Lorne Bridle, who was very good-looking and charming.” Regardless of his dubious relationship with Chapman, Greenlees became Treasurer of WTB&TS and one of the Governing Body. According to Larry, “He managed to escape the witch hunt at Brooklyn Bethel in the early seventies when dozens of Bethel boys were disfellowshipped after learning of their midnight trysts in the sauna in Brooklyn Bethel.” Editors note: Although this may not be concrete proof, it is with firm conviction that we print this article. Thanks to the testimony of many people who worked at Bethel during this time, we can be sure that this was common knowledge. Before you cast aside this article, please remember what the Watchtower of January 1st, 1986 said: “Shocking as it is, even some who have been prominent in Jehovah’s organization have succumbed to immoral practices, including homosexuality, wife swapping, and child molesting” An interesting point to consider: In March 1969 sixty homosexuals left the world headquarters called Bethel in Brooklyn – but then Watchtower President Nathan Knorr demanded that this also be covered up.